A Half-yearly Peer Reviewed Journal of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute
Keora is one of the most important mangrove species of the Sundarbans. It is a favoured fodder tree for mangrove wildlife. The giberralic acid content of the leaves promotes quick post larval growth of prawn and fishes (Roy Choudhuri 1990). Since 1960, keora has been considered as the main species for the coastal afforestation programmes of Bangladesh. It alone forms 67% of all planted area, amounting to 17,000 ha in the coastal area of Bangladesh (Drigo et al. 1987; Rahman et al. 1990). A serious collar rot disease of keora in the nurseries of Uttar Kattali under Chittagong Coastal Afforestation Division was observed in November, 1990. There were 750 beds of seedlings of two to three months’ old. The overall mortality of the seedlings was 10%, although some parts of the nursery were damaged heavily. The disease was also observed in the nurseries of Char Habibia, Char Alexandar and Hatia under Noakhali Coastal Afforestation Division.